Apparatus and method for transporting, deploying, and retrieving arrays having nodes interconnected by sections of cable

Abstract

An apparatus and method for transporting, deploring, and retrieving an array is disclosed. The array has a plurality of nodes interconnected by sections of cable and can be transported, deployed, and retrieved with the apparatus and method of the present invention. The apparatus includes a plurality of first divisions and a plurality of second divisions. The first divisions have first portions or holders capable of individually accommodating the nodes. The second divisions are alternatingly positioned adjacent the first divisions. The second divisions have second portions or surfaces capable of individually accommodating the sections of cable. The first and second divisions can be integral portions of the apparatus, can be separate members positioned on the apparatus, or can be used with a standard cable drum. Preferably, the second divisions can be rotated relative to the first divisions to tightly wind and easily unwind the sections of cable.

1. An apparatus for transporting and deploying an array the apparatus comprising:
 a cable having multiple sensors with sections of the cable connected therebetween to provide the array; 
 a body; 
 a first division coupled to the body, wherein the first division comprises multiple first portions, each first portion having at least one of the multiple sensors disposed thereon; and 
 a second division coupled to the body, wherein the second division comprises a second portion having the sections of the cable disposed thereon. 
 
   
   
     2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein either the first division or the second division are rigidly coupled to the body. 
   
   
     3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein either the first division or the second division are rotatably coupled with respect to the body. 
   
   
     4. An apparatus for transporting, deploying, or retrieving an array having at least one node with at least one section of cable connected thereto, the apparatus comprising:
 a body; 
 at least one first division coupled to the body, wherein the first division comprises at least one first portion for accommodating at least one node; and 
 at least one second division coupled to the body, wherein the second division comprises a second portion for accommodating the section of cable, and wherein the first division is rotatable with respect to the second division. 
 
   
   
     5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second division is adjacent to the first division. 
   
   
     6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second divisions are cylindrical. 
   
   
     7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a means for locking the first and second divisions together. 
   
   
     8. The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a means for locking either the first or second division to the body. 
   
   
     9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second divisions comprise holes for locking the first and second divisions. 
   
   
     10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a cable drum. 
   
   
     11. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the first division comprises a cavity defined in the first division. 
   
   
     12. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion further comprises a means for holding the sensor at the first portion. 
   
   
     13. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first division comprises a guide for the section of cable. 
   
   
     14. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the guide is curved. 
   
   
     15. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second portion comprises a cylindrical surface and first and second sidewalls extending beyond the surface. 
   
   
     16. The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the first and second sidewalls define a passage to pass the section of cable from the first division to the second division. 
   
   
     17. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises an alternating plurality of first and second divisions. 
   
   
     18. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the section of cable comprises a fiber optic cable. 
   
   
     19. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a sensor and clamp assembly. 
   
   
     20. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second divisions comprise an integrated component. 
   
   
     21. An apparatus for transporting, deploying, or retrieving an array having at least one node with at least one section of cable connected thereto, the apparatus comprising:
 a body; 
 at least one first division coupled to the body, wherein the first division comprises at least one first portion for accommodating at least one node, and wherein the first portion comprises a hinged member hinged on the first division, and wherein the node is affixable to the hinged member; and 
 at least one second division coupled to the body, wherein the second division comprises a second portion for accommodating the section of cable. 
 
   
   
     22. An apparatus for transporting and deploying an array, the apparatus comprising:
 a cable having at least one sensor connected thereto to provide the array; 
 a body; 
 at least one first division coupled to the body, wherein the first division comprises at least one first portion having at least one of the at least one sensor of the array disposed thereon; and 
 a second portion having at least one section of the cable disposed thereon. 
 
   
   
     23. An apparatus for transporting, deploying, or retrieving an array having multiple nodes with sections of cable connected therebetween, the apparatus comprising:
 a body comprising a cross member; 
 a plurality of first divisions coupled to the cross member, wherein the first divisions are capable of rotation relative to the body, and wherein each of the first divisions comprise at least one first portion for accommodating at least one of the nodes, the at least one first portion having a fastener for holding the at least one of the nodes at the first portion; and 
 a plurality of second divisions coupled to the cross member and alternating with the first divisions, wherein the second divisions are capable of rotation relative to the body, and wherein each of the second divisions comprise a second portion for accommodating the sections of cable. 
 
   
   
     24. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the second division is adjacent to the first division. 
   
   
     25. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the first and second divisions are cylindrical. 
   
   
     26. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the second division is capable of rotation relative to the first division. 
   
   
     27. The apparatus of  claim 23 , further comprising a means for locking the first and second divisions together. 
   
   
     28. The apparatus of  claim 23 , further comprising a means for locking either the first or second division to the body. 
   
   
     29. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the first and second divisions comprise holes for locking the first and second divisions. 
   
   
     30. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the body comprises a cable drum. 
   
   
     31. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the first portion of the first division comprises a cavity defined in the first division. 
   
   
     32. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the first portion comprises a hinged member hinged on the first division. 
   
   
     33. The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the node is affixable to the hinged member. 
   
   
     34. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the first division comprises a guide for the section of cable. 
   
   
     35. The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the guide is curved. 
   
   
     36. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the second portion comprises a cylindrical surface and first and second sidewalls extending beyond the surface. 
   
   
     37. The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the first and second sidewalls define a passage to pass the section of cable from the first division to the second division. 
   
   
     38. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the section of cable comprises a fiber optic cable. 
   
   
     39. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the node comprises a sensor. 
   
   
     40. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the node comprises a sensor and clamp assembly. 
   
   
     41. A method using an apparatus for deploying an array into a well, the array having a plurality of nodes connected by sections of cable, wherein the apparatus comprises alternating first and second divisions, and wherein the apparatus temporarily holds the nodes at first portions of the first divisions and temporarily holds the sections of cable at second portions of the second divisions, the method comprising:
 (a) releasing a node from a first portion; 
 (b) affixing the node to a conveyance member; 
 (c) releasing a section of cable from a second portion while deploying the conveyance member down the well; and 
 (d) repeating steps (a) through (c) until the array is deployed into the well. 
 
   
   
     42. The method of  claim 41 , wherein the first and second divisions are rigidly coupled to the apparatus, and wherein step (c) comprises rotating the apparatus. 
   
   
     43. The method of  claim 41 , wherein step (c) comprises rotating the second portion with respect to the apparatus. 
   
   
     44. The method of  claim 41 , wherein the node is affixed to the conveyance member by clamping. 
   
   
     45. The method of  claim 41 , wherein releasing the node from the first portion comprises a step selected from the group of unhinging, unbanding, unbolting, unclasping, or unclamping. 
   
   
     46. The method of  claim 41 , wherein step (a) comprises unhinging the first portion from the first division. 
   
   
     47. The method of  claim 41 , wherein step (a) comprises applying a force to the node. 
   
   
     48. The method of  claim 41 , wherein the first portion comprises a cavity formed in the first division. 
   
   
     49. The method of  claim 41 , wherein the apparatus comprises a cable drum. 
   
   
     50. The method of  claim 41 , wherein step (c) comprises releasing the section of cable from a passage extending between the first and second divisions. 
   
   
     51. The method of  claim 41 , wherein the section of cable comprises a fiber optic cable. 
   
   
     52. The method of  claim 41 , wherein the node comprises a sensor. 
   
   
     53. The method of  claim 41 , wherein the node comprises a sensor and clamp assembly. 
   
   
     54. A method using an apparatus for retrieving an array deployed into a well, the array having a plurality of nodes connected by sections of cable, wherein the apparatus comprises alternating first and second divisions, and wherein the apparatus is capable of holding the nodes at first portions of the first divisions and capable of holding the sections of cable at second portions of the second divisions, the method comprising:
 (a) releasing a node from a conveyance member; 
 (b) affixing the node to a first portion; 
 (c) winding a section of cable onto a second portion while retrieving the conveyance member from the well; and 
 (d) repeating steps (a) through (c) until the array is retrieved onto the apparatus. 
 
   
   
     55. The method of  claim 54 , wherein the first and second divisions are rigidly coupled to the apparatus, and wherein step (c) comprises rotating the apparatus. 
   
   
     56. The method of  claim 54 , wherein step (c) comprises rotating the second portion with respect to the apparatus. 
   
   
     57. The method of  claim 54 , wherein the node is released from the conveyance member by unclamping. 
   
   
     58. The method of  claim 54 , wherein affixing the node to the first portion comprises a step selected from the group of hinging, banding, bolting, clasping, or clamping. 
   
   
     59. The method of  claim 54 , wherein step (b) comprises hinging the first portion to the first division. 
   
   
     60. The method of  claim 54 , wherein step (b) comprising applying a force to the node. 
   
   
     61. The method of  claim 54 , wherein the first portion comprises a cavity formed in the first division. 
   
   
     62. The method of  claim 54 , wherein the apparatus comprises a cable drum. 
   
   
     63. The method of  claim 54 , wherein step (c) comprises winding the section of cable through a passage extending between the first and second divisions. 
   
   
     64. The method of  claim 54 , wherein the section of cable comprises a fiber optic cable. 
   
   
     65. The method of  claim 54 , wherein the node comprises a sensor. 
   
   
     66. The method of  claim 54 , wherein the node comprises a sensor and clamp assembly. 
   
   
     67. A method for deploying an array having a plurality of nodes connected by sections of cable into a well, comprising:
 providing an apparatus having a first division and a second division, wherein the apparatus temporarily holds the nodes at first portions of the first division and temporarily holds the sections of cable at a second portion of the second division; 
 releasing one of the nodes from one of the first portions; 
 affixing the node to a conveyance member; 
 releasing one of the sections of cable from the second portion while deploying the conveyance member down the well; and 
 repeating releasing one of the nodes, affixing the node and releasing one of the sections of cable until the array is deployed into the well.